Tag: Sheila McMillen

Top 10 3-point shooters in Notre Dame women’s basketball history

Who has most hit from downtown in Irish history?

Several months back, former Notre Dame guard [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag] advanced to the finals of the annual WNBA 3-Point Contest. But nobody was going to beat Sabrina Ionescu, whose final-round score of 37 was higher than even the highest score ever recorded in the NBA version of the contest. Almost immediately, many wondered how Ionescu would favor in a shootout with NBA 3-point king Stephen Curry.

This past NBA All-Star Weekend, fans got their wish. It was the highlight of the weekend with Curry needing the final rack to beat Ionescu, 29-26. There are hopes that something like this can continue next year and beyond, especially with women’s basketball increasing in popularity.

While we contemplate the future of women’s basketball and only can guess what it holds, we know who’s helped lay the groundwork for that future. Among them are the top 3-point shooters in Notre Dame history. Since 3-pointers are the latest thing to bring male and female basketball players together, let’s see who rounds out the top 10 for the Irish:

Two Notre Dame greats headed to Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

Congrats, ladies!

No state is prouder of its basketball tradition than Indiana, so to be honored for basketball in the state is extra special. Before Tuesday, 20 individuals with Notre Dame connections were inductees of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. The most recent of those inductees were [autotag]Ken Barlow[/autotag] and [autotag]Beth Cunningham[/autotag], both of whom were enshrined in 2019. Now, that number soon will be 22 with the announcement that [autotag]Ruth Riley[/autotag] Hunter and [autotag]Sheila McMillen[/autotag] Keller will be inducted in 2023.

Riley Hunter was the big player on the Irish’s 2001 national championship team, winning national player of the year and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament among other honors. At the conclusion of her collegiate career, she held seven program records. She remains the Irish’s all-time leader in field-goal percentage, blocks average and personal fouls. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

McMillen Keller was the first Irish player to appear in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments. She was an All-Big East selection as a senior captain and graduated with 1,439 career points. Her 98 3-pointers during her final season still are a program record.

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